Shanghai Bobby finishes second

Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner suffers first loss

Wire reports

Published 10:09 pm, Saturday, January 26, 2013

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — The result of the $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes had nothing to do with luck Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Itsmyluckyday earned his two-length decision over previously undefeated Shanghai Bobby fair and square.

A week after being honored as the Thoroughbred sport's champion 2-year-old of 2012, Shanghai Bobby was the even-money favorite to win his sixth straight race in the Grade III stakes for Kentucky Derby hopefuls. The Todd Pletcher-trained champion seemed to be well positioned in the No. 1 post to make a victorious 3-year-old debut in the 11/16-mile stakes, but the Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained Itsmyluckday unleashed an impressive performance that broke the favorite's undefeated streak, as well as a Gulfstream track record.

Shanghai Bobby is owned by Starlight Racing and Coolmore Stud of Ireland. Starlight Racing partners include Don Lucarelli of Duanesburg, and his wife Barbara, and Jack Wolf, who owns homes in Kentucky and Saratoga Springs, and his wife, Laurie.

Itsmyluckyday, the 9-2 third choice who captured the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Derby on New Year's Day, ran in 1 minute, 41.81 seconds to eclipse Endorsement's 2012 record of 1:42.35.

"The winner was very good today. We were second best. We got a good trip and didn't expect to break the track record by three-fifths of a second in order to win," Pletcher said. "I was happy. We got the trip. We got the trip we anticipated."

Shanghai Bobby, who concluded his 2012 campaign with a victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, broke alertly from his inside post to grab the early lead in the short run to the first turn under jockey Rosie Napravnik. Itsmyluckyday also broke well from the No. 7 post under Elvis Trujillo to gain a stalking position behind Shanghai Bobby and Clearly Now without losing too much ground on the first turn. That trio continued to show the way in the 10-horse field along the backstretch before Trujillo sent his mount after the pacesetter on the final turn. The son of Lawyer Ron pulled alongside Shanghai Bobby leaving the turn into the stretch and steadily drew away from the game pacesetter to the finish.

"He ran well. He was relaxed on the lead and went right to the front today," said Napravnik, who has been aboard Shanghai Bobby in all his starts. "When the other horse came to him, he tried really hard."